21 most iconic 80s fashion trends that define 80s style (2023)

A look at the most legendary fashion trends of the 80s

The fashion of the 80s occupies a unique place in the world of fashion, trends and styles.

In a world without the internet and social media, fashion in the 1980s took inspiration from music and television shows, creating more style icons than in any previous decade.

"Big," "Bright," and "Tall" describe the '80s fashion decade with bold colors and patterns, power suits, shoulder pads, dramatic earrings, and acid-wash denim.

In this article, I'll take you back in time to relive the best moments of 80's fashion and style.

In short, these are them21 most representative and inspiring fashion of the 80sPhotos, images and moments of all time.

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powerful suits

Power suits or "power clothes" were all the rage in the 1980s.

The trend was started by celebrities and movie stars playing influential and power-hungry career women.

Grace Jones' tailored suits, with broad, padded shoulders, inspired the 'girl power' and cross-dressing movements of the 1980s - an inspiration for artists like Annie Lennox, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Solange and Lorde.

In a sign of women rising through the ranks, Britain was ruled by Margaret Thatcher, the country's first female Prime Minister.

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Dresses with padded shoulders

Shoulder pads were such an influential trend in '80s fashion thatStylistseven adopted her.

Bold shoulder pads paired with flowing dresses with puff sleeves to create unique geometric shapes and cuts.

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leg warmers

The fashion styles of the 80's were influenced by stars and celebrities of the time promoting fitness and aerobics on television.

Performances by Olivia Newton-John and Jane Fonda (Flashdance in particular) made leggings every woman's fashion statement.

aerobics clothing,Fitness-Leggings, big sweaters and evenSkinny jeans for womenthey were all garments that needed spats as a finishing touch.

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Leather jackets with rolled up sleeves

Worn by music and movie stars like Bon Jovi, Madonna, Cher, Tom Cruise (Top Gun) and Morten Harket, leather jackets were a must in the 80s.

However,the most popular leather jacket styles of the 80sit had broad, padded shoulders and was worn with the sleeves rolled up, and Michael Jackson's Thriller look is the perfect example.

Other popular leather jacket styles of the 1980s were the Double Rider and Café Racer jackets, with the option to customize them to your liking.

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80s preppy fashion

The 80s was also the decade of designers who focused on comfortable and stylish preppy styles.

Brands like Polo, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein released college-style jackets, trousers and shirts in pastel shades with stripes.

Seen as a critical trend of the 1980s, formal shirts (also seen in 'light gym') were used as a formal button or acasually more elegantT-Shirt.

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Statement-T-Shirts und Slogan-T-Shirts

Statement tees, also known as slogan tees, are another defining moment in '80s fashion, as Katharine Hamnett's pieces beautifully illustrate.

The designer's anti-missile T-shirt, worn to a meeting with then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984, is now part of 1980s fashion history.

The trend of slogans printed on t-shirts was quickly adopted by Pepsi, Nike, Adidas and Guess after realizing the promotional power of their own logos printed on t-shirts.

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1980s mini skirts

The '80s is also the decade of miniskirts, skater skirts and rah-rahs.

Miniskirts were first seen in theFashion in the 60s, usually combined with go-go boots.

But miniskirt trends peaked in the 1980s, worn with spats and/or leggings.

Popular materials were denim and elastane (see Kylie Minogue's high-shine mini dresses) or complemented with layers of mesh and lace in the Madonna style.

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Tupfenmuster

popular in40s fashion(and later50er Mode), polka dot dresses, skirts and tops reappeared in full force in the '80s.

The style was brought back by French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro in their SS 1985 ready-to-wear collection, which was quickly embraced by royalty, pop stars and movie stars alike.

Princess Diana loved polka dot track skirts; Pop duo Strawberry Switchblade wore her in big PVC belts and Claudia Cardinale in her signature tie-neck dresses.

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Animal prints from the 80s

Natural animal skins were already being used in the 1980s.

However, that hasn't stopped celebrities from sporting over-the-top animal prints with every imaginable outfit and style.

From leggings to bags, skirts and sunglasses, bold leopard, zebra, tiger, giraffe and python prints were all the rage.

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Large glasses from the 80s

Most fashionable sunglasses in the 1980s had oversized frames and tinted or mirrored lenses.

Some of the most popular sunglass frames of the 80's were Rayban's oversized wayfarers and aviators.

However, depending on your social circle, you can discover Gucci, Cartier and Vuarnet on a large scale.

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Asymmetrical silhouettes in the 1980s

Thierry Mugler's spring 1983 ready-to-wear show is the prime example of clothes where one side is not the other.

The asymmetrical style was best exemplified by Molly Ringwald, a famous Hollywood actress of the 1980s.

Key features of the asymmetrical style and design include a one-shoulder bodice, slanted hems or plunging necklines that are often seen in today's fashion.streetwear piecesvonJapanese fashion.

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Collants and bodies

After the influence of drugs and the freedom of "flower power".Mode der 70erover, the 80s began as a confident decade.

Jane Fonda capitalized on women's obsession with dance and movement with fitness videos that featured an extensive collection of colorful jumpsuits.

With the help of musical divas like Cher, promoting and selling brightly colored sportswear became an '80s thing.

What we call athleisure today began with tights and bodysuits, a functional fashion.

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Double-Denim-Mode

The double-denim style craze of the '80s is the ultimate example of celebrity power modeling, and it's still going strongcurrent fashion trends.

Levi's 501 Jeans campaign involved top celebrities of the time such as Nick Kamen, who had a Top 5 hit single in 1986 written and produced by Madonna and Stephen Bray.

The trend of pairing double denim jackets with high-waisted jeans continued into the late 1980s, thanks to Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ben E. King, and Percy Sledge boosting Levi's and vinyl sales.

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Thick socks with high heels

In a trend started by fitness celebrities making their way from the gyms to the '80s runways, chunky tights, layered stockings, and even lace-trimmed stockings were an '80s fashion statement for girls.

Neon socks worn over another pair and paired with sneakers have found success in multiple contexts, at the gym, hanging out with friends, and even in the office.

And with the popularization of the idea of ​​wearing socks everywhere, heeled socks began to appear, from movie clips on MTV to movies and catwalks.

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Sheer tights

In the '80s it was really cool to wear short skirts to show off your legs - check out Debbie Harry's chic little black dresses with statement stockings.

Initially, sheer tights came in neutral colors - like brown during the day and black at night for a more natural look.

Influenced by the growing fitness craze, see-through tights became all the rage for many by the mid-1980sfashion brandsCreating colorful socks.

The trend towards colored transparent socks continuedFashion in the 90s, used in the office and even at dinner parties.

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80's style pants and leggings

Stirrups are lightweight metal frames suspended from each side of a saddle, used for mounting or riding.

The stirrup pants lend themselves to the concept by having a strip of material on the forefoot to keep the pants in place.

Due to their construction, stirrup pants were all the rage in sports activities such as aerobics, ballet and dancing in the 1980s and eventually permeated everyday fashion looks.

In the late 1980s, women of all ages wore leggings and stirrups paired with oversized T-shirts or comfy oversized sweaters.

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Decorative lace dresses and accessories

After Madonna released her world hit "like a Virgin' on MTV in 1984, lace dresses and gloves became an instant fad in the '80s.

The trend is everywhere, even in movies, and one of the most popular spring style characters was Alexis Carrington in Dynasty, played by Joan Collins.

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Harem pants from the 1980s

Originally known as the harem skirt, these trousers were introduced to western fashion circles in 1910 by Parisian fashion designer Paul Poiret.

Long, wide harem pants with a very low crotch and tight fitting at the ankle were also known as MC hammer pants.

In psychedelic colors and stunning prints, harem pants are another look that makes 80s fashion unforgettable and unique.

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80's style high waist swimsuits

Somethe most popular swimsuitsfrom the 80's had a high-waisted swimsuit like the girls in the original Baywatch series used to wear.

The high cut was meant to elongate the legs, while the waist tucked everything into a slimmer silhouette, whether with some weight in the hips or stomach.

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Post-Punk-Fashion in the 80s

Inspired by the London skinhead culture that drove theFashion in the 60sIn the Storm, the '80s punk version had a softer, more gimmicky look.

The milder variations of 1980s post-punk fashion were influenced by a blend of skinhead culture with other cultures and musical trends, ranging from gothic rock to glam to psychedelic rock.

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Acid washed jeans

Aged, acid-washed jeans were popular in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.

Invented by the Rifle Jeans company in Italy, which chlorine washes jeans and uses a pumice stone to abrade the material.

Popular with heavy metal and rock bands, it was paired with acid-wash '80s jeansBiker jackets or French jackets(Cowboy/country style leather jackets with lots of tassels).

Acid-washed denim was so popular that even non-rock artists like Bros and Salt N' Pepa jumped at it, prompting brands like Jordache, Guess, Wrangler, Levi's and Gitano to create limited-edition and collaboration pieces.

Frequently asked questions about 80's fashion

Final words on the fashion of the 80s

The eighties were a decadefashion trendsFor the people'loved to hate', likeyou've seen in our gallery of iconic '80s clothing.

The hair was combed and waved to the extreme, voluminous and sometimes curled; the makeup was bold with clashing colors, almost like makeup.

1980s fashion styles were also about flaunting cash—the wearingTop-Designermarken, preppy style clothing and loud logos to show one's wealth and status.

However, the influence of the 80s not only shaped the culture and fashion of that decade, but also the styles we wear today.

Many of80s fashion is back in 2023, like power clothes, denim overalls and leather jackets.

Television music channels (MTV launched in 1981) and the first generation of personal computers (the first Apple computer appeared in 1984) were major influences on the fashion look of the 1980s.

Music videos particularly influenced '80s fashion and American TV shows like Dynasty and Dallas -- think power suits, shoulder pads and fine jewelry worn by Alexis and Krystle Carrington.

Music videos by Madonna, Joan Jett, and Cher inspired teens to wear leather biker jackets and ripped tights with punk-style bracelets, studs, studs, and chains.

Likewise, the elegant looks of Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner shaped women's fashion in the 80s with asymmetrical aesthetics, oversized blazers and puffy skirts.

And let's not forget the impact that Jane Fonda and Olivia Newton-John's fitness videos had on teenage girls, who even wore sheer tights and leg warmers everywhere, with everything.

Now it is your turn…

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